The Chase
by StardustForDreamers
Summary: She'd never planned to spend her life running but fate never turns out exactly how we want it to. She thought she was done with that life, that it was all behind her. She thought she'd left behind the man she loved but she should have known better, should have known that he couldn't resist the chase. She should have known that love didn't let go that easily. Follows Fast Five.
1. Chapter 1

**So I've started a new fic although there are some other stories I need to finish writing and a few I need to update but oh well. I had to do something different after seeing so many Dotty fics. I hope you guys like it. R&R! :)**

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The streets of Rio were alive with sounds of laughter and music as Ronnie walked down the busy sidewalk. People were rushing through the city and she deftly weaved and bobbed through the crowd of people. She was leaving in a week, two tops, and she knew that she'd miss Brazil. She'd grown used to the rush of the city in the last few months, loved the vibrations it caused under her skin. It was nothing like the adrenaline rush she was used to but at least the vibrant city always kept her on her toes.

There were little boys running around with a soccer ball, playing and calling to each other. The littlest one caught her eye as he chased after the bigger boys. He was probably no older than four or five and dirt from the road covered his tan skin. The tattered soccer ball rolled her way and she placed her sandaled foot on top of it to stop it from traveling farther into the street. The older boys halted but the little one ran forward. She crouched down and picked up the ball, handing it to him as he ran right up to her. A tiny little pregnant woman on the sidewalk yelled out in Portuguese and the little boy ran back to her. Ronnie's heart clenched and she smiled sadly. She wanted that, had wanted it badly enough that it was all she dreamt about; had always envisioned herself with a family of her own. It was funny how fate had turned that dream upside down, had ripped it from her clutches.

The gang of boys in her neighborhood didn't bother her anymore as she walked up the steps to her temporary home. They'd grown used to the sight of the ballsy woman that hadn't backed down that first day when they'd cocked their guns menacingly at her. She'd just pulled out her one of her own and yelled for Vince to get his lazy ass out there before she blew a hole in one of his buddies.

It was Vince who greeted her now with a large grin and a bear hug. "Where have you been, woman? I've been calling your ass all day!" Ronnie shook her head as they passed through the doorway of his house.

"You're not my keeper Vince. I've just been in town getting some last minute things before I head out."

Both Brian and Mia looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. They froze as they watched the woman before them. She pulled the fedora off of her head and let her long brown hair fall down her back in its usual mass of unruly curls. She looked very much the same, albeit a little older. Brian couldn't believe his eyes. He looked at Mia and watched as her eyes fogged with tears.

"Oh my god," whispered Mia as she covered her mouth in shock.

Ronnie turned to the table and her eyes widened in surprise. She stared as Brian stood up from the table. Mia, it seemed, was too shocked to stand. Ronnie hadn't seen her brother in over five years. Sure the pair weren't actually related but they were family nonetheless and the bond they had was next to unbreakable. He'd taken her in when she hadn't had a place to stay, had saved her life in more ways than he probably knew. He'd been the one to care for her when it seemed like no one else did.

Before Brian could engulf her in his arms though, she turned on Vince with a dark glare.

"You fucking asshole!" She shoved him and he actually stumbled back a step or two. "You did this on purpose! You knew I was leaving and you invited them here?" Brian wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back before she could attack Vince anymore. Ronnie struggled but she missed the comfort of her brother's arms too much to fight hard enough for him to let her go.

"Let's just talk about this," Vince tried to reason with her as he slowly approached, eyeing Brian to make sure he had a good grip on her. There were too many things she could pick up to throw at him and that girl had always had an arm.

"Talk about what Vince? You're not convincing me to stay, not after this." Ronnie knew she now had even less time to get out of dodge before shit hit the fan. She'd been good at dodging, at laying low. The last three years she'd been under the radar and she wasn't about to let Vince pull her back in.

"There's a job coming up." Brian looked up in surprise but Ronnie didn't. She knew it was coming.

"Which is exactly why you know I can't stay," she mumbled as she took a seat at the table. "I've been out for years now Vince and _I am not _getting back into that life."

"You sure it has nothing to do with Dom? Nothing to do with you running from him the last three and a half years?"

"It has nothing to do with him," she yelled and slammed her fist on the table. She was lying and he knew it. Her running had everything to do with Dom, had been that way since day one. She knew that when his breakout had been all over the news that she was about to start running again. She'd been in Rio for over a year, the longest time she'd stayed in anyone place since she'd left almost four years agohim. She knew it was a matter of time before he showed up and she needed to be long gone by then.

"Then stay for this job. I was hoping Dom was gonna be here by now but this one's clean enough; we can do it without him. It's an easy gig. Coupl'a high-end cars, easy targets. Guy I know is putting together a team to swipe 'em. Just need a few more willing bodies."

"I don't know," said Brian. She could already see the wheels turning in his head though, wondering how it would go down, if the gig was really as legit as Vince said. He didn't have to say anything, everyone at the table knew he already had one foot in.

"Look, the way the car scene is down here, we can unload 'em quick and get top dollar." Ronnie snorted sarcastically at that. There was no way it was that easy, boosting cars with Vince always turned sour, something always went wrong. Always.

"It's easy money," he continued on as if Ronnie hadn't made a sound. "From where I'm sitting, it looks like all three of you could use a payday." And Ronnie knew it was done. Brian had jumped in full sail. He always did when it came to anything having the slightest to do with Mia and Vince knew that. "Come on Ronnie. Just one more time. For family."

Ronnie had turn away from him; she could feel her resolve wavering. Vince was playing dirty, bringing up family like that. It wasn't fair.

Ronnie shook her head and stood from the table. "You don't need me for this one Vince. You guys wanna go 'head with this one, then fine. I'm not stopping you. But I sure as hell ain't getting dragged into it." With that she stomped off leaving the rest of them to wonder what had happened to the girl who'd lived with reckless abandon, not caring if she made it past the next quarter mile.

It wasn't long before Mia found her in the back room. The two girls stared at each other for a moment before wordlessly wrapping each other up in hugs.

"God, I've missed you Ronnie. I've missed you so much."

Ronnie squeezed Mia tightly. "I've missed you too Mia. You have no idea how much." It had been hard to leave Mia behind and she'd only managed to do it part of the way. She'd called her once every blue moon during the time she was gone. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't leave behind her best friend.

"Were you leaving Rio because of my bother?"

Ronnie pulled away and sat on the bed. "You know he's missed you too, right? We all have."

Ronnie shook her head ruefully. "He had Letty. He didn't miss me. I was just a detour that stopped them from getting together sooner."

"You know that's not true, right? You guys were together for five years. He loved you. You can't lie to yourself about that." When Ronnie didn't reply Mia let out a sigh and sat down next to her "I shouldn't have told you about the two of them. Maybe if I hadn't you wouldn't have stayed away as long as you did."

"I would have stayed away anyway Mia. I couldn't go back. I needed out of that life." It was at least part of the truth. She'd never told anyone the other part and she didn't plan on telling her best friend either. Mia didn't need to know. No one did.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks so much for the interest in my story! I appreciate the reviews, the subscriptions, the messages, all the favorites, everything. Thanks guys :)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fast Five or anything else from the Fast and Furious franchise. No harm or copyright infringement was meant in the posting of this story. Thank you.**

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The rocking motion of the train soothed Ronnie as she forced herself to stop shaking her leg. God she was nervous and she kept playing with her chain, wriggling the plain silver locket back and forth over and over again. She should have stayed home, her gut had told her that, but somehow she let Vince in her head, had let the brute talk her into it, and she found herself sitting beside Mia and Brian on a train in the middle of nowhere. When she saw Vince she'd kill him for talking her into this. She'd been retired, she'd been safe but with one name she found herself back in trouble again.

She looked around the train from behind her mirrored glasses, trying her best to give the lovebirds next to her even an ounce of privacy. It was obvious the two where in love, madly so, even after everything that had gone down in LA five years before. She wanted someone to look at her the way Brian looked at Mia, and she did, she'd had that kind of love, until she'd thrown it all away. She thought she'd be gaining something, and she had, if only for a short while. But in the end, she lost it all anyway.

She was glad when Mia interrupted her thoughts because she was quickly getting depressed. It was go time. Focus on the now, she thought, worry about everything else after the fact. Together they got up and made their way down the aisle. Ronnie noticed the feds the minute she stood up. She'd always had a knack for sniffing them out, had learned what to look for from young. Their starched black suits and stiff disposition gave them away long before their shiny gold badges could.

She and Brian shared a knowing look as they tried to hide their faces. Both Mia and Brian were fugitives, their faces plastered everywhere from milk cartons to cereal boxes, and Ronnie had become too cautious to not try and hide. They made it past without incident though and before she knew it, they were slipping into the holding car.

Brian radioed in their position as Ronnie took a look at the cars. Her adrenaline was pumping, her skin alive with the familiar rush of the heist. She was like an addict, all the years doing cold turkey circling down the drain the minute she got a hand on her drug of choice again.

Brian smashed the glass and they both reached for the keys.

"Oh, shit," Ronnie mumbled as she read them over; that pit in her stomach quickly turning into an abyss.

"What is it?"

"DEA tags," answered Brian. "These cars have been seized." In that moment, it dawned on all three of them the type of shit they'd willingly stepped in.

But there was no use trying to worry about it now. Instead, they got to work unmasking the cars. Ronnie's hands lightly trailed over the sparkling blue paint of the GT40 as she stared at it in awe. She was itching to get behind the wheel of that beauty. Nothing else could be any more of a welcome home.

Ronnie's attention shifted from the car to Mia and Brian when she noticed that Vince and his buddies were almost done cutting through the freighter. Her stomach came alive with butterflies and she knew, in that moment, that she was about to face with the man she'd been running from for all these years

The sheet of metal was yanked back in a flash and Vince and his buddies stood where the wall used to be. Mia grinned as Dom stepped onto the train and Ronnie gasped as she took a step further into the shadows. Brian spared her a glance but she was focused on Dom and Mia's reunion.

"Look who showed up," called Vince as he stepped onto the train. He looked everywhere but at Ronnie where she was half hiding in the shadows behind Buster. He knew this hadn't been what she wanted but he'd needed her for this job.

"I thought I told you to lay low." God that voice, Ronnie thought. She hadn't heard it in so long. Her eyes raked over him, taking in everything. He was bigger than before, if that was even possible, his muscles flexing as he crossed his arms. Those familiar brown eyes were filled with warmth even as he scolded Brian. She stepped father into the shadows though, hoping that he wouldn't see her. She knew that hope was futile though. He'd notice her soon enough if he hadn't already.

"We were running on fumes. Had to make a call." Dom looked past Brian as he talked though, his attention caught by the woman in the shadows.

"Ronnie." There was no question as to whether it was her. It was her, Dom was sure of it, after all these years it was her. They stared at each other, neither of them making a sound. He couldn't see her hazel green eyes behind her mirrored aviators but he didn't have to. He'd know her in a crowd just by looking at her. He her defiant stance, the one she often took when she didn't agree with him on something. He recognized the curve of her neck, the very neck he'd left so many love bites on when their make out sessions got too heated. He remembered the exact shape of her lips, the same lips that could curse him out one second and moan his name the next. He recognized her, and in that instant, he promised to never let her slip through his fingers again.

"Hey! Quit talking! We only got the two minute window." Dom's gaze snapped from Ronnie to Zizi. He had to focus. Job now, Ronnie later. He'd found her again and now she wasn't go anywhere.

"Let's go Vince!" Vince nodded and hopped into his car. Zizi called out in Portuguese and they pulled Vince out onto the ramp. He reversed off and zoomed alongside the train. Zizi took a step forward but Dom stopped him with an arm to the chest.

"Ladies first," he said, eyeing Ronnie. She nodded and walked over to the GT40, Mia a step behind her. One of the guys made a move to stop her but Brian intercepted him.

"Hey," she called out in Portuguese. "This car suits me better." She smirked and looked at Dom. She'd heard Zizi say he wanted the GT40 and she knew that's why Dom wanted her to drive it. Instincts told her something was up and Ronnie trusted Dom to handle it. He knew what he was doing.

She got behind the wheel and settled in. She could hear the boys speaking in Portuguese. They wanted the car, and from the look on Dom's face, she knew they weren't getting it. He walked up to Mia's side of the car and opened the door.

"Change of plans," he said, catching Ronnie's eye again. "Wait for my call." It was just like old times. Despite what the other guys thought, Dom was calling the shots here. She was pulled back in, no longer in retirement. And she knew by Dom's tone that he wasn't letting her out of his sight. They had a lot to talk about when this job was done.

Ronnie nodded and Dom slammed the door. "Let's go," he called and the car was pulled onto the ramp. The car rolled off and Ronnie revved the engine. She took off, kicking up dirt and ruble as she made a sharp U-turn. She and Mia smiled at each other as Ronnie shifted and hit the gass, driving as smoothly as if she never left. It was just like riding a bike, the action so practiced she did it without thinking. She sped off into the desert, away from the train. Ronnie was back and she knew this time there was no running.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yes I'm back! Enjoy! And thank you to everyone for the reads, reviews, the favorites, the follows, and the PMs. It means a lot and I love you guys.**

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**The Chase: Ch. 3**

God she was worried. Ronnie couldn't keep her mind off of Dom and Brian. They should have called by now. Dammit, I should have gone back, she thought. She'd seen the fighting as the train got smaller and smaller in her rearview, had seen Zizi pull out a gun. She'd wanted to turn around but Mia wouldn't let her, saying that's not what Dom had wanted. Mia had told her to trust them, they'd call. But Ronnie was impatient; something that hadn't changed in the years since she'd been gone and Mia knew it was only a matter of time before the girl was bouncing off the walls. Mia remembered the old days when Ronnie had done that every time Dom had gone on a job without her or they got separated during a heist. She knew from experience that she wouldn't calm down until Dom was back, safe and sound.

So she'd sent her to the garage to keep her focus off the boys. That's where Ronnie was now, a wrench in hand as she tried to keep herself busy. She'd just started looking under the hood of the car, wondering why the Zizi had wanted it so bad.

Dom was still smiling when he wandered into the back of the safe house. Seeing Mia ready to bust open some heads had made him proud. She and Brian were still in the front where he left them after Mia told him where Ronnie was. He needed to talk to her and he didn't need the others around when he did. He came to a stop though when he found Ronnie bent over the engine of the GT40 and leaned back against one of the cement pillars. He was half afraid that she'd taken off again but he was glad to find that she hadn't.

She was clad in a pair of jean shorts that rode up a little on her ass and his eyes trailed over her long tan legs. Her torso was covered in black wife beater; one he was sure had been his, which was tied up in a knot because it was too big for her. He drank the sight of her, sure he would never get his fill. His mind was wandering to all the times those shapely legs had been locked around his waist, all the times he'd palmed that ass of hers in his hands as he pulled her against him. He could feel himself harden as more memories came flooding back and he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

Ronnie turned around as the sound of throat clearing echoed through the room. Her breathing hitched and her heart sped up. "Dom," she breathed and ran forward. He caught her in his arms like things had never changed and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Dom hadn't expected that but he wasn't complaining. She belonged in his arms, fit perfectly there even after the years of separation.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and hopped down before either of them was really ready to let go. "I shouldn't have done that," she mumbled and silently made her way back over to the car.

Dom stared at her incredulously. "So that's it?"

Ronnie didn't turn around. She made a point to continue standing by the car even though she wasn't working on it. "What do you want me to say Dom?"

"What do I want you to say? Well telling me why the fuck you left would be a good place to start! I want you to tell me why the girl I love walked out on me with no explanation, just a half assed note telling me to move on with my life!"

"I had to," yelled Ronnie, Dom goading her temper. "Two years of running Dom! You promised we were out but we never really were. Even with you hiding it I knew they were always after us! I couldn't live like that. Besides, don't act like I was missed. I was just a pit stop on your way back to Letty. You guys were together before I came along and it was just a matter of time before you guys got back together after I left." Ronnie couldn't look Dom in the eye anymore because her own where clouding with tears. She'd told him to move on with his life but it still hurt to know that it was Letty he'd moved on with.

"Don't even try to feed me that bullshit Ronnie! You know that wasn't the score. I looked for you every day for the last three years, even when I was sleeping with Letty. And you knew I was which is why y ou kept running." Dom let out a humorless laugh as he walked up to her. "You were smart about it too. I checked the racing scene for a while hoping you'd pop up but you never did. You made sure to not draw even the smallest amount of attention to yourself which meant street races were off limits. I was always just behind you, always barely missing you. After Mexico, you bounced around. You were off the grid for six months before you showed up again in Puerto Rico for two months. It took me another few to find out you spent the next four in the Bahamas. By the time I got there you'd move on to the Dominican Republic. You spent another couple of months there before resurfacing in Panama for about a month before heading here. I searched for you, Ronnie, every fucking day of every fucking year you were gone. So don't give me any of that shit Ronnie because I never gave up on you."

"Dom," Ronnie whispered as he grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her to him.

"So tell me Ronnie. What happened to ride or die, what happened to never leaving each other's side?"

Ronnie stared up at Dom, her hazel eyes filled with unshed tears. She wanted to tell him but she didn't even know where to begin. There was a lump in her throat and she couldn't get passed it. "I…I…," she stammered.

In the end, Brian saved her before she said anything. He walked into the room with Mia a step behind him. His eyes were on Dom, silently warning him to take a step back from his baby sister. Dom glared back but let Ronnie go anyway. They'd continue their conversation later.

Ronnie hugged Brian and he twirled her around in a circle. "You had me so worried," she mumbled when he put her down. But Brian just grinned and chucked her under the chin like he did when they were younger, before everything got complicated and he'd ended up in Juvie because of her.

"Don't I always make it out, kid? Have faith in your big bro. I know it's been a few years but I've still got it." The pair shared a grin as they remembered all the scrapes they'd barely made it through as teenagers. Brian had always found a way to get them both out still at least partly intact.

"Where's Vince," Mia asked as Ronnie and Brian pulled apart.

"That's a good question." Ronnie knew Brian was pissed and she couldn't blame him after the fucked up mess Vince's gig had turned into.

"He'll be here," Dom said in a way that brooked no argument.

"Guys we're all over the news."

"Yeah, they're blaming us for the killing of those DEA agents on the train." Ronnie had been with Mia listening to the radio broadcast. So much for laying low, she thought ruefully. Those few years basically meant nothing now.

"Which means we just jumped to the top of the wanted list," said Brian, echoing Ronnie's thoughts. "The feds have got to show everyone their agents are off limits."

"Which means they're gonna send their best guys. We gotta get outta here, like now," said Ronnie, her mind already thinking of escape plans.

"One thing we know for sure is that they wanted this car."

"Something's in it." Ronnie had already figured that out she just couldn't quite figure out what.

"Let's get to work

**~F&F~**

They made quick work of dismantling the GT40 until it was just an engine and a shell of the car it once was. Ronnie and Dom worked on one side of the car while Mia and Brian worked on the other side. They couldn't help but notice how it was like the days when they used to work on cars in Dom's garage. They moved in sync with each other just like they used to, slipping right back into old habits.

All four of them looked up when the sound or metal rattling reached their ears and Vince strolled in like nothing was amiss. Ronnie reached for something to chuck at Vince but Dom placed a hand on her arm to restrain her, already anticipating what she wanted to do. She was always to attack first and ask questions later when her temper got the best of her and now was no different. If not for Dom, a wrench would have already made a dent in Vince's pretty little forehead if Ronnie had her way.

"Where you been man," asked Brian, the first of them to speak. Vince paused and turned to stare at him.

"You better check that tone," Vince responded menacingly. Brian stood but Ronnie spoke up before he could say anything.

"And you better answer the goddamn question Vince." Dom grabbed her to stop her from making her way to Vince while Mia stepped in between Vince and Brian.

"Take it easy, girl," he mumbled in her ear and pulled her behind him as he stepped up to his best friend.

"Where were you Vince?"

"They're guys all over the Favelas asking 'bout you; couldn't get out of there without leading them straight to you. Had to wait 'em out."

"That is such horse shit! That was your job," yelled Brian as he and Vince ran towards each other. Dom pushed Ronnie farther out of the line of fire before he moved to break up his two friends.

"Hey," shouted as he pulled them apart. "Enough O'Conner! If he said he didn't do it, he didn't do it. Go walk it off." Ronnie shook her head at Dom. She didn't want to believe it either but she agreed with Brian. Her gut was telling her that Vince had known things weren't right from the start but he'd ignored it just like Vince always did. She frowned at Vince and shook her head in disappointment before she slipped past Dom and followed Brian out of the safe house.

~F&F~

Dom watched from the shadows as Vince strode into the back room. He watched as he friend made his way to the car and pulled chip out of the computer. He was disappointed in his best friend but he wasn't surprised. "Almost wish I didn't see that," he called, startling Vince as he pushed off the wall. "Almost."

"Wait Dom," Vince tried but Dom cut him off.

"Mia and Ronnie were on that train. My sister and my girl," he shouted as he forcefully shoved Vince into one of the pillars.

"I didn't know! I wouldn't do anything to hurt 'em."

"You set up the deal!"

"I thought the job was for the cars. I didn't know. All they want is the chip."

Dom hit the spaces Vince's head and let out an angry cry. He couldn't believe Vince had put Mia and Ronnie in danger like that. "You shoulda come clean!"

The door opened and in stalked Ronnie, her expression livid. She'd heard Vince, heard everything he said. "You motherfucker!" Don grabbed Ronnie by the waist and tucked her into his side to keep her away from Vince.

"What's going on out here?" Mia and Brian walked in looking confused.

"Nothing," replied Dom as he turned away from Vince.

"Please Dom, just let me have the chip. I can take this to 'em. Give it to Reyes and set things right."

Dom shook his head. "Get out."

Vince looked at him in disbelief. Ronnie did too. Dom and Vince had gone through their rough patches before, she knew, but this time things seemed different.

"Get out!"

Vince started to walk but he turned back. "You never listen to me. Not when I told you he was a cop. Not now. You never trust me and look where it's gotten us. Look at our family now! I can't go home! Your sister's stuck in this life! Even Ronnie's been running from you the last few years because we're all waist deep in this shit with you." Ronnie had to look away as Vince yelled. "Where's Letty, Dom? Where's Letty!"

Vince spared Ronnie one more glance as he tried to get her to read the apology in his before he stomped out. As she watched Vince leave, Ronnie's heart broke a little more as she wondered just how much more of her family she'd have to lose.

**~F&F~**

Ronnie barely slept a wink that night. She had too much on her mind, everything from Vince leaving to her conversation with Dom playing over and over again in her head. When she woke, her eyes were bloodshot and she was even more tired than she had been the day before.

Dom, Mia, and Brian where already in the back messing around with the chip when she made her way towards them, feeling a bit better after her shower. She'd dressed in a pair of faded and ripped jeans, a black tank, and a pair of beat up converse having expected a long day. She walked idly up behind them as Brian clicked on the computer screen.

"Look at that. Same building, same order, every week."

Ronnie watched as Dom wiped engine grease from his hands and nodded his head. "It's a delivery schedule."

"What's this," Mia asked and Ronnie clicked on it. "Drugs?"

Ronnie shook her head. "Nah, that's a dealer pack."

"Yeah, see most major players weigh their money so they don't have to constantly count it," continued Brian. "Write there that's 49 kilos. Forty nine kilos is–"

"A million in twenties," finished Ronnie as she looked at Mia. "Which means each one of these shipments is worth ten million dollars. So that's like what, a hundred million plus in cash houses," she asked turning to look at Dom.

Dom nodded. "That's how he keeps it off the grid." Brian said something else but Ronnie wasn't paying attention anymore. The sound of clanging metal reached her ears and she looked around. Dom silently signaled to the window and she and Mia ran over.

Brian gave both of them a boost and they shimmied out of the window and into the streets. The ducked as they ran when they heard the guns shots. Ronnie turned to see Bryan behind her but the other Torreto wasn't in sight.

"Where's Dom," she asked, slightly panicked, as she turned back but Brian grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from the safe house. They hurried down the streets or Rio, Zizi and his gang hot on their tail. Brian kicked a gate into one of the men that tried to cut them off and Ronnie punched another one in the face. She brought her knee up into his gut and rammed his head into the cement wall, knocking him out cold.

"Go, go, go," Brian yelled as he shoved her and Mia forward. Gun shots rained down on them and Ronnie hissed as one grazed past her bare shoulder. They kept running up the stairs until they were eventually on the roof tops. The goons were coming from all sides as they jumped from roof to roof. They came to the edge of the houses and Ronnie had to grab Mia to stop her from falling off.

"Shit," she whispered. "End of the road." She looked back to see the thugs coming up behind them. Ronnie and Brian shared a look before Brian and grabbed her and Mia's hand and back pedaled a few steps. With a nod, they all ran forward and jumped crashing through the rood below. Ronnie landed weird, twisting her ankle a bit as she hit the ground. But they kept moving. They had to meet up with Dom.

Soon they were making their way out of the sewers. Ronnie could tell her ankle was probably swollen but only mildly sprained since she could still put a bit of weight on it. Despite her objections, Dom helped her out of the drain and checked her over for other injuries.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she said as he looked her over. He'd already torn off a strip of fabric from his shirt to tie around her arm where the bullet had nicked her.

He smiled faintly at her protests. "You were always the accident prone one weren't you; always ending up with more scrapes and bruises than anyone else." He rubbed his thumb softly against her slightly grazed cheek and she unconsciously leaned into his touch. Before she could respond though, he pulled away.

"They're going to be looking for the four of us together now. We need to split up." He turned to Ronnie and Mia and Ronnie shook her head at him, already knowing what he was going to say.

"Don't even think about it Dom, I'm not doing it."

Dom just looked at her but she didn't back down. "You and Mia will head south and Brian and I will lead them away."

"No," Mia and Ronnie cried together. "We're not the goddamn Scooby gang Dom. You can't just split us up like that."

She was expecting a response from Dom but it came from Brian instead. "Dom's right. Look how lucky we just got. What happens next time? We have no choice but to split up."

"Nope it's not happening. You and Dom can shove that idea right up your—"

"—I'm pregnant." Both Dom and Brian stared at Mia in shock but Ronnie wasn't surprised. She'd recognized the symptoms when she'd heard Mia throwing up the morning of the job. They were highly familiar to her and easy to spot if one looked close enough. "I already lost my family once. I'm not going through that again."

"Are you kidding me," asked Brian as he pulled Mia close, the smile already forming on his face.

Ronnie and Dom looked away from the two of them as Brian kissed Mia. They couldn't help but remember when that had been them, in love like that before Ronnie had disappeared. Ronnie had hoped Dom would look at her like that when she told him that she was pregnant, had hoped he would look at her with love the way Brian gazed at Mia. But that ship had long set sail and she'd missed her chance.

"Dom," Mia called and he turned to look at his sister. "Promise me we'll stick together." She turned to her best friend next. "You too Ronnie. Promise me that you're done running." Dom, Mia and Brian all watched her as they waited for her Ronnie.

Ronnie's eyes never left Dom's as she nodded. "I'm not going anywhere." She turned to Mia. "I'm gonna be an aunt now Mia, I wouldn't miss that for the world. Someone has to make sure that kid of yours has some mischief in his life." Brian snorted, already thinking about all the trouble Ronnie and their kid would get into as Ronnie gave him a cheeky grin and hugged them both. Mia turned to look at Dom expectantly now that she had her best friend out of the way.

"Promise," he said as he walked over and hugged all three of them. "My family just got bigger," he smiled and they all laughed as they enjoyed the moment.

~F&F~

Brian watched Mia and Ronnie sleep for a second before joining Dom on the balcony. Ronnie woke up midway through their conversation but she stayed in her spot on the lumpy love seat and listened to the boys on the balcony. She smiled sadly as she heard Dom talk about his dad. Her own father hadn't played much of an important role in her life, having skipped out on her and her mom soon after she was born. But when her mom had died, she'd gone to live with her Uncle Eddie in California and he'd been the father figure she'd never had.

He was a mechanic who lived in the small apartment above his shop and he'd been the one to teacher her everything she knew about cars from the time she was eight years old. When he'd been shot in drive-by she'd run off and put everything she knew about cars to use in the streets from the time she was thirteen. That's where she'd met Brian and where he'd saved her life.

She couldn't imagine Brian being anything but a good father. He'd babied her when they were younger, had spoiled her rotten whenever he could. She always got first pick when they were boosting cars. If she was hungry, Brian had made sure she had something to eat even if that meant he went hungry for another night. He patched her up whenever she had a run in with danger and whooped anyone's ass if they even looked at her sideways. He would always make sure she got out first even if that put him that much closer to the cops. He'd taken the fall for her the one time she'd almost gotten caught behind the wheel of a stolen Nissan, had spent two years locked up because he wouldn't let her go to Juvie. She couldn't see how he had any doubt that he'd be a good father to his kids.

"Can't keep running Dom. You gotta get out. You gotta get out now," she heard Brian say.

"You're right," Dom responded after a few seconds and she silently thanked Brian for getting through his head what she'd been trying to tell him five years before. Better late than never, she thought.

It was a while after they finished talking that she got up and padded her way over to the balcony where Dom still was. She leaned against the banister and watched the sky turn pink as the sun began to rise. Dom watched her for a bit, taking in the sight of her. Her hair had grown out from the bob she'd cut it to back when they were in Mexico and it was back to its natural color again. It was back to being halfway down her back, just the way he loved it, the long chocolaty tresses mused with sleep and blowing in the morning breeze. The right leg of her jeans was rolled up and her ankle was wrapped in an ace bandage as was the wound on her shoulder. Her hips were bigger now making her jeans hug her body tighter than he remembered and she'd gained weight in all the right places in Dom's eyes. Her chest was bigger too, fuller and rounder than he remembered, the hint of her cleavage in her tank top drawing his wandering gaze. She'd finally grown up into the body her earlier years had hinted at and Dom couldn't keep his eyes off her, could barely keep his hands from wandering the way his eyes were.

"You would make a great dad one day, Dom," she mumbled bringing Dom's thoughts back from the sexual abyss they'd fallen into. Her voice was thick as she said it while she tried to keep the tears at bay. They stood in silence for a while, neither of them wanting to break it until Ronnie's curiosity got the better of her.

"Did you mean it?" Dom looked at her questioningly but she kept looking out over Rio. "When you agreed that it was time to quit running, when you told Brian this would be the last job and then we'd all disappear?"

Dom nodded and sighed tiredly. He should have known that she'd been listening. She was always the nosey one, too curious for her own good sometimes. "Yeah I meant it Ronnie. I'm tired of running and I know you all are too." They lapsed into silence again until Dom broke it this time.

"What was the real reason you ran Ronnie?" She looked up in surprise but it was his turn to just gaze out into the city.

"I told you that I was tired of running Dom. I didn't want to live like that forever." Ronnie hoped that they could leave it like that but she should have known Dom wouldn't let it go.

"I know you were pregnant." The words came out low and Dom continued to stare out over the city. Ronnie was too shocked to look away from him. She hoped that she had heard him wrong but that hope was dashed when he continued. "I found the pregnancy tests in our room the week after you left. You should have told me."

"Dom…I…I," she stammered but Don kept talking, his voice steadily getting louder, the deep baritone assaulting her ears.

"No Ronnie, you should have told me! I had a right to know that I was gonna be a dad, that I was gonna be some kid's father!"

"I didn't have choice Dom!" She couldn't look at him or else she knew the tears would start flowing. "We couldn't raise a baby while we were always running! I didn't want that for our child Dom! I didn't want to raise a baby while we were always looking over our shoulders waiting for the moment when they'd catch us! I'm sorry but I did what I had to do."

"No you didn't! You had a choice Ronnie; you always have a goddamn choice! You could have stayed with me, Ronnie, and we could have disappeared together but instead you took the coward's way out. You didn't even give me chance Ronnie, you never gave our family a fucking chance!"

Ronnie stalked over to Dom, her fists clenched at her side, her entire body shaking with anger. "Is that what you think Dom? You think I took the coward's way out," she asked, her voice deceptively soft. "You think I would get rid of my own son?"

He didn't move, knowing that's exactly where his thoughts had taken him when he hadn't seen any evidence of a toddler lying around. One look at the anger in her face had him wishing he hadn't jumped to conclusions though.

She was crying now, no longer able to fight the tears, and her hands were trembling violently as she took the locket from around her neck and opened it to show him the pictures inside, shoving the necklace in his face. On one side there was a rare picture of the team, the whole lot of them together, Jessie and the ever photogenic Letty present as well. On the other was a picture of Ronnie sitting up in a hospital bed, her hair crazy and disheveled and her eyes droopy and tired, a tiny, bald little bundle wrapped in blankets in her arms.

Dom grabbed the locket from her to stare at the baby. Its eyes were closed and its fingers were gripping onto one of Ronnie's. His son. He could barely see his face with the blankets tucked around him but he found himself wondering if his eyes would be the same mix of hazel and green as his mothers, if he'd have that stubborn set of his jaw Ronnie always mentioned, if his hair would have been black like his own or the same brown of his mother's.

"I named him after Jessie, Jessie Dominic Torreto. I was already a month pregnant when I left you in Mexico. I got a hold of Brian, he'd just started working for the FBI, and an old friend who owed me a favor and they got me back into the states. Brian was pissed because I wouldn't let him see me but it was because I didn't want the feds to know I was back. I moved to a little island in the Keys and Brian put everything in his name and my friend worked a bit of magic to keep me off grid for the six months I was there so I wouldn't have cops hounding at my door. I was sick the entire time too, constantly in and out of hospitals, in someone's office every other day. The doctors told me it was because my body wasn't taking the pregnancy well but I was stubborn, you know, and I didn't want to let go of our baby because I couldn't. I'd already lost you, I couldn't lose my only other connection to you too. Maybe it sounds selfish, but I thought since I'd given you up then maybe God at least owed me this. After everything I'd gone through in life, I thought I deserved this one thing to go right for me.

"I was careful, so careful Dom but I went into labor early, way too early. I was only 22 weeks pregnant when Jessie was born and the doctors told me if he'd been born a few weeks later he could have lived. I was so depressed afterwards that the doctors tried to keep me in the hospital on suicide watch for a few days before I skipped town. I couldn't even call Brian like I promised. He didn't know I was pregnant, although I think he suspected. I was so upset with myself that I just disappeared without telling him. I thought about going back to Mexico to find you but I couldn't face you either, not after losing our son." Ronnie choked up a bit as she tried to breath. She wasn't use to talking about her son, always avoiding the subject because it hurt too much. Dom stared at her, his heart hurting for the women he loved and the son he never got to meet. He wanted to hold her, even reached out to her but she shoved him away and turned her back to him as she hugged herself.

"I gave up everything for our son: the love of my life, my health, the rest of my family. I carried our son for five months just to have him die in my arms six hours after I gave birth to him. So don't you ever fucking say, _ever_, that I took the coward's way out Dominic Toretto. Don't even let the thought cross your mind."

Dom yanked Ronnie to his chest and crushed his lips to her, tasting the salt from her tears. His lips worked against hers and she kissed him back with just as hard, pain and anger mixing with passion potent enough to sear her soul. The kiss was slow and bittersweet, an apology for anything and everything, a way to say sorry when they knew no words would suffice.

Dom pulled away first and held onto her as she broke down. He didn't know what to do, having only seen her cry once or twice. He didn't know what to do with crying women, had never really had to deal with them. He'd never seen Letty cry in their short stint of a relationship and the only crying woman he'd ever comforted had been his sister. So he held her to his chest like he always did with Mia and let her tears soak into his shirt as sobs wracked her body. He didn't say a word, knowing from experience that words didn't fix this type of pain. They fell asleep that way, Dom leaning against the balcony rails, Ronnie cradled in his lap, in each other's arms for the first time in what felt like forever.

* * *

**I suck I know but as you can see this chapter is WAY longer and the emotions made it really hard to write. I hope I didn't offend anyone with this. It's part of Ronnie's story and now you guys know why she left and kept running. I finished this chapter before break ended but I didn't know if I should post it. I made some changes to it recently and while it's a lot better in my opinion it's in no way perfect and that's why I love it. **

**Please review and favorite. Thank you! 3**


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